I have no idea if this is effective as an exercise method in the intended way. However I am getting an enormous amount of exercise from assembling this machine. I am no novice - I work in the engineering field - but after 4 hours attempting to assemble this product I am left with a half-built cross trainer, which, I have realised, I will have to modify large parts of in order to use it. The bolts supplied are lacquered badly and therefore jam when they are tightened. I am going to have to recut all the external and internal threads. The axles are so tight in the bushes that they will not push on and need a great deal of force. It is worrying that others fit easily, which suggests very poor tolerances in manufacture. So, what do I do? Disassemble the whole product again so that I can return it? I'm not sure that's possible as it would now be just as much bother to take apart. So, I will have to struggle on, re-engineer parts, and hope that I can get it to function. If you don't have the means to do that, yourself, then AVOID THIS PRODUCT.